U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio offers a thumbs-up as he boards a aircraft whereas departing Bratislava Airport in Bratislava, on February 15, 2026.
| Picture Credit score: Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is about to start a two-day journey on Sunday (February 15, 2026), to bolster ties with Slovakia and Hungary, whose conservative leaders, typically at odds with different European Union nations, have heat ties with President Donald Trump.
Mr. Rubio will use the journey to debate vitality cooperation and bilateral points, together with NATO commitments, the State Division stated in an announcement final week.
“These are nations which might be very robust with us, very cooperative with the US, work very intently with us, and it is a good alternative to go see them and two nations I’ve by no means been in,” Mr. Rubio instructed reporters earlier than departing for Europe on Thursday (February 12, 2026).
Mr. Rubio, who in his twin position additionally serves as Mr. Trump’s nationwide safety adviser, will meet in Bratislava on Sunday (February 15) with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who visited Mr. Trump in Florida final month. The U.S. diplomat’s journey follows his participation within the Munich Safety Convention over the previous couple of days.
Will meet Viktor Orban on Moday
On Monday (February 15, 2026), Mr. Rubio is predicted to satisfy with Hungarian chief Viktor Orban, who’s trailing in most polls forward of an election
in April when he could possibly be voted out of energy. “The President stated he is very supportive of him, and so are we,” Mr. Rubio stated. “However clearly we had been going to do this go to s a bilateral go to.”
Mr. Orban, one in all Mr. Trump’s closest allies in Europe, is taken into account by many on the American onerous proper as a mannequin for the U.S. president’s robust insurance policies on immigration and assist for households and Christian conservatism. Budapest has repeatedly hosted Conservative Political Motion Convention occasions, which deliver collectively conservative activists and leaders, with one other due in March.
Ties with Moscow and clashes with E.U.
Each Mr. Fico and Mr. Orban have clashed with E.U. establishments over probes into backsliding on democratic guidelines. They’ve additionally maintained ties with Moscow, criticised and at occasions delayed the imposition of E.U. sanctions on Russia , and opposed sending army support to Ukraine.
Whilst different European Union nations have secured different vitality provides after Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022, together with by shopping for U.S. pure fuel, Slovakia and Hungary have additionally continued to purchase Russian fuel and oil, a follow the US has criticised.
Mr. Rubio stated this is able to be mentioned throughout his transient tour, however didn’t give any particulars. Mr. Fico, who has described the European Union as an establishment that’s in “deep disaster”, has showered Mr. Trump with reward saying he would deliver peace again to Europe.
However Mr. Fico criticised the U.S. seize of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early January. Hungary and Slovakia have additionally up to now diverged from Mr. Trump on NATO spending. They’ve raised defence spending to NATO’s minimal threshold of two% of GDP.
Mr. Fico has, nonetheless, refused to boost expenditure above that stage for now, though Mr. Trump has repeatedly requested all NATO members to extend their army spending to five%. Hungary has additionally deliberate for two% defence spending on this 12 months’s funds.
On nuclear cooperation, Slovakia signed an settlement with the US final month and Mr. Fico has stated U.S.-based Westinghouse was more likely to construct a brand new nuclear energy plant.
He additionally stated after assembly the chief of France’s nuclear engineering firm Framatome throughout the week he would welcome extra firms participating within the challenge.
Printed – February 15, 2026 09:37 pm IST